The present invention is directed to a test device for a dental percussion instrument.
A dental percussion instrument contains a movably seated ram, which is accelerated to a defined speed with the assistance of a preferably magnetic drive which is controlled by an electrnic control unit and subsequently moves toward a test subject in free flight with a speed which remains constant and the ram is then returned to its initial position by the drive after impact of the end of the ram against the subject. Percussion instruments of this type are preferably used to determine the degree of looseness of teeth in the human paradentium. An example of such a percussion instrument is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,906 whose disclosure is incorporated by reference thereto.
In the use of such an instrument and due to defects of the instrument or in the electronics, a faulty measurement will be obtained without this being perceived or known to the user of the instrument.